Claire Lawler, Stuartholme School
social justice coordinator
Claire Lawler has made extraordinary work in creating greater student and staff access to social justice opportunities at Stuartholme School.
As part of the school’s aim to mould their students to become change agents, Lawler introduced three lenses to the school’s social justice program – volunteering, civic advocacy, and social enterprise. This move provides students with opportunities to participate in a way they felt most comfortable. Under Lawler’s guidance, the program introduced a General Chapter, which along with the school’s Big Night Out and DanDaLion events, fosters the model of students leading students. This model allows students to grow their understanding of the complexity of the political, economic, and social systems.
Projects Lawler initiated or has been involved in include:
- Social Justice community forum events, where students learn about community action and how to advocate for issues they are passionate about, from a range of inspiring role models;
- Partnership with Activ8 to provide students with the opportunity to volunteer at sport training sessions for children with diffabilities;
- Stu can’t ask that, a new event this year, held in partnership with Ethni, to give students the opportunity to learn more about the experiences of refugees in a safe, compassionate setting
- Stuartholme Social Enterprise – P4P, an enterprise that serves as a vehicle for recycling school waste into saleable items for our school community.
- Queen Bees beekeeping club, a club to excite students about beekeeping.